The Action Figure That Saved Christmas
The Action Figure That Saved Christmas is the sixth episode of FruityTales and the first holiday special of the series. Plot (Grandpa) Jason Leek (In a role similar to S.D. Kluger from Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town) finishes up a bedtime story for his granddaughter Anne Leek. She asks for another one, but he tells her that she needs to get some sleep, otherwise she'll be exhausted the next day. However, after all the begging, he tells a Christmas bedtime story to his granddaughter Anne. In the story, Mr. Bezzer is the owner of a toy company who, via television commercial, is spreading the word of his newest toyline, "Loubert," with a working robo-hand built into his arm hole and a trigger in his right ear that makes him tell kids to get more toys (though delivery isn't available in Puggslyville due to the collapse of the bridge linking the paths of the factory and village). After seeing the commercial, the kids of Dinkletown (the town Jason claims he used to deliver mail to) begin begging their parents for more toys. As Loubert toys roll off the production line, one of them inexplicably comes to life and escapes the factory to search for the true meaning of Christmas. On Christmas Eve, Harry, Rob, and Timmy go sledding. They happen upon the escaped Loubert , who asks the Fruits for help. Rob suggests that they go see (Grandpa) Jason Leek who reads the Nativity of Jesus from Luke and explains that the true meaning of Christmas is to give, not get. The kids are heartened by the news and plan a way to tell the rest of the people about the true meaning of Christmas before Christmas Day. Harry, Rob, Timmy, and Loubert sneak into Mr. Bezzer‘s factory and succeed in avoiding his security guards and broadcast a message using his TV studio's equipment. Shortly after, Mr. Bezzer discovers the group and decides to get rid of them by tying them to a sled and sending them away, though is interrupted by the families of Dinkletown, who intervene. Realizing the error of his ways, Mr. Bezzer repents after being given a teddy bear as a gift. However, Mr. Bezzer inadvertently presses a button and sends the sled with Rob, Harry, Timmy, and Loubert down through the restricted Puggslyville tube. Panicking, Mr. Bezzer and several of his penguin workers get on their own sleds and give chase in an attempt to save the four. However Loubert saves the Fruits by diverting the sled's course, leaving Mr. Bezzer alone racing toward the broken bridge. Loubert and the penguins are able to save Mr. Bezzer just as he is about to fall down the ravine. The story concludes with everybody in Dinkletown, including Mr. Bezzer, getting together to celebrate a Christmas party. Trivia * This episode was the first for several things: ** The first Christmas episode. ** The first episode Lincoln Contreras worked on. ** The first appearance of Anne, Percy Asparagus and his brother Lil' Artichoke, Lenny’s mother and brother, and Loubert. ** The first episode to not show countertop. The serious song doesn't count. ** The first episode where they use arms and legs. ** The first episode to have different animations. ** The first episode not to have the FruityTales theme. ** The first episode to be reanimated. It was reanimated in 1999 prior to the airing of the FruityTales Christmas Spectacular!. * The footage used for the television broadcast is in a different frame rate than the rest of the episode. Mark states that they did this so it makes it look like a home video. * The pajamas Anne is wearing have the same pattern as the background Azerty uses for the verses. * There is a picture in Jason’s house of Jason’s in a sailor's uniform in the reanimated version. It is possible he may have been a Navy veteran at some point. * The episode features the debut of Loubert who, like several other main/title characters in later FruityTales episodes (e.g. Esther in Esther... The Gal Who Became Queen, and Maewyn Succat from Saint Patrick: A Story of Joyful Giving), doesn't return in later episodes. * Tom Danen, Mark Nawrocki, Christopher Olsen and Roy Smith were shocked to see that Ronald Ellis was animating in a bathing suit. * All of the Loubert‘s in their boxes are just still images. * The kids state they have been waiting for Christmas for a million hours. A million hours is actually 41,667 days, and equates to a total of 114 years. * The 1999 Lyrick Studios releases of the episode would either contain the original or 1998 version. * In the 1999 version, Jason pickup truck is full of wrapped packages as he's driving, but when he delivers the only package addressed to Dinkletown, it's nearly empty. On that note, why is that package not wrapped in Christmas paper like all the others? * The TV in Timmy’s house turns on by itself to play the Loubert commercial. * Only a single, yard-long fence with a skull head 'Danger' sign is being used to protect bypassers from the collapsed bridge. * Somehow, the protagonists were able to climb up the steep mountaintops without any proper mountain-climbing equipment. * Upon seeing the protagonists 'borrowing' his TV studio, Mr. Bezzer is much more concerned about someone ruining "his" Christmas than the toy he made inexplicably coming to life. * The protagonists are tied up in such a way they could easily hop off the sled if they wanted to. Strangely enough, they somehow manage to stay ON the sled (even after Loubert cuts the rope apart) despite the fact it's cruising through the tube and down the mountaintops at incredibly fast speeds! * The single, yard-long fence holds up pretty well as Mr. Bezzer crashes right through it and is left alone racing towards the collapsed bridge. * Loubert‘s furniture is all toy-sized and as such it's purpose is negated. * A few references from Racket, Shacket and Ben were used here: ** Mr. Morty mentions about Nebby K. and his coco factory. ** Jason narrating the story. ** Mr. Bezzer trying to get rid of the main protagonists, but later redeeming himself. * When the gang first come upon Mr. Bezzer‘s television studio, you'll notice pictures of the "Big-o-Matic" skit from the second episode and the couch from "I Love My Tongue." * When Jason delivers the presents to Dinkletown, there is a shot which shows Christmas presents. One of the presents features wrapping paper covered with various FruityTales characters. It's only featured in the newly animated version after the initial 1997 release. * Jason’s truck and job is a nod towards S.D. Kluger from Rankin-Bass' "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town". * Mouse Trap is a board game where to goal is to play against each other by getting the other player trapped in one of the Rube Goldberg-like mouse traps. * Bumblyburg later became the city where Boy-Harry resides. * Rob would later say his famous words in a later Christmas special. * Mr. Bezzer with a teddy bear would be a reference in Robin Wood, where his character sleeps with one. * The skull head logo would be used as the first logo on Pa Orange‘s lego hat in The Legos Who Don't Do Anything and as the dead-end zone which is actually the entrance to the Boy-cave used in Boy-Harry! and the Alien from Another Planet!. Goofs * Some white on Anne’s mouth can be seen when she turns her head on the pillow. This could be from the pillow clipping through her mouth. * Lenny was missing his mouth in one shot. * As Laura and her family are watching the protagonists' broadcast about the true meaning of Christmas, Laura‘s mom blinks, but loses half of her eyeliner in the process. * When the rope is first seen,there are knots on the rope, but when the rope is thrown, there are no knots.